A LOUGHBOROUGH Temple celebrated Hindu New Year in style with an array of luxury food.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Loughborough held a celebration for the New Year and Annakut, which means mountain of food, and volunteers worked through the night to ensure that visitors had a smooth and pleasant experience.

Devotees and families arrived at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Moira Street to offer their prayers for the coming New Year.

As part of the Diwali celebrations, Hindus around the world cook a variety of different vegetarian items of food, snacks, sweets, pickles, spicy dishes, salads, fruit drinks and various other items.

These items are then arranged in tiers to form a grand offering of every item imaginable.

Along with the Annakut, there were also a number of colourful Rangoli patterns and Arti designs on display which were created by the children and youth of the organisation.

Nicky Morgan, prospective Conservative MP, was also invited to celebrate Diwali with members of Loughborough's Hindu Community at Geeta Bhawan in Lemyngton Street.

Mrs Morgan said: "I felt very privileged to be invited to celebrate Diwali at Geeta Bhawan.

"Diwali is a happy occasion and everyone was having such a good time.

"It was lovely to see whole families together and I feel incredibly fortunate that my role in Loughborough gives me the opportunity to enjoy celebrations such as those at Geeta Bhavan."